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New user? Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The piece of paper
Countless times over the last 3 and a half years, when I've mentioned to someone that I returned to University, the conversation goes like this:
"So what are you doing nowadays?"
I went back to school in '04.
"Really, what are you taking?"
Computer Science.
"Nice. Getting your Masters degree then?"
Not yet, undergrad right now. I left university in my 2nd year, and ended up working for 10 years. So it was time to finish what I started.
"I totally understand, you gotta have that piece of paper."
... umm, actually, I went back to learn more Math and Computer Science theory so I can do cooler stuff. I don't care about the piece of paper.
(Confused stare)
Unfortunately, a B.Sc. in Computer Science doesn't mean much, unless you get it from a really great school like MIT. A lot of the nearly-graduating undergraduates I've met can barely program and are seriously scared of taking courses like Operating Systems, Compiler Construction, Programming Languages... basically anything that requires actual programming and thinking, especially if writing C (gasp!) is involved. That's not to say they're all like that, there are plenty of amazingly talented students too.
Check this out... (that is, if you know how to program and know a smidgen of Math)
Worse Than Failure: F'd Factorial
For those who aren't programmers, trust me, they were being polite when they even bothered asking the person the second question. How do those people graduate with a CS degree?
This is pretty much exactly why I'm not overly excited about getting "the piece of paper". There are enough boneheaded graduates like that one that being labeled a "CS graduate" isn't all that appealing.
So, what I'm getting out of the experience is the experience, the knowledge, the time to think, and the perspectives all of those things led to. It's been great.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Microsoft Surface Parody on YT
YouTube: Microsoft Surface Parody
This is pretty funny. It's easy to pick on technology like this, but when the price of this thing comes down to the price of a nice PC or TV, they will fly off the shelves. I want one, that's for sure!
Why can't Microsoft be as good at software as they are with hardware? Sigh.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Why don't you just block the whole Internet?
I tried to send email today, but it wasn't working. Turns out Shaw started blocking port 25 (SMTP). Considering I have a business internet account with them, I was pretty upset, especially since I wasn't notified in advance. They said they sent an email months ago.
I asked them to give me details of the message (when, what was the subject, what was the from address?) so I could try to find it but the person didn't know that information. I would have expected a letter to be sent to my address for a change in service.
The only way around the block was to pay $20 a month for two static IP addresses.
So I asked my ISP if there was a workaround. Use port 2525, they said. Yup, that works.
As for .Mac, use port 587, that works.
What a stupid policy.
Grammatically correct
Wikipedia: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I thought Seth would like this one...
